Beth191987

I was going swimming in one of our lakes and found two clams. I was wondering if anyone could answer some questions I have. They both had this bubble close to the top of the shell I was wondering what that might be? And could I possibly keep clams in my fresh water aquarium?

Gargoyle

Bubble... Have no idea...

Keep in fresh water tank.. I see no reason why you couldn't.

atmmachine816

I would keep them in their own separate tank for a couple months. They could contain some pesticides or other harmful chemicals from the local lake and may show some predatory attitude. Best to find out if they need to be spot fed also in a separate tank.

sirdarksol

As atmmachine said, keep them in their own tank for a couple of months. You're going to want to flush all of the garbage out of their systems.
Also, you should know that clam larvae survive on the gills of fish. This means that they are parasites at one point in their lives. In small numbers on decently sized fish, they aren't a problem. However, too many of them (or, presumably, a few on a small fish) can be harmful, even fatal.

All of that being said, they are pretty useful in a tank. One part of their food supply is ammonia, so they help keep control of it. Conversely, they do still add to bioload. In a small numbers in a properly stocked tank, they help out, but if there are too many of them or if they are in an overstocked tank, they will pollute the water just like any other critter.
I've got two freshwater clams that I think are doing very well in the tank (it's hard to tell, they only stick their syphons out to feed periodically, and I can't guarantee that I'll see it when they do.

Beth191987

Awesome! Thank you for all your help. I looked a little bit online but couldn't exactly find what i wanted. But that answers my questions so i now know what to do.

Beth191987

Well I put them in a different tank and today i noticed they are starting to open so that means they are dead. So i guess no live clams for the aquarium.

sirdarksol

Yeah, unfortunately, inverts can be pretty sensitive to water changes.

vin

No, that may not be the case....They will open under water...They are bi-valves and need to open to breath and eat. They could very well be hungry. Closing their shell is a defense mechanism. In fact, I was going to caution you about adding them to your aquarium because they will eat your fish....If they are open and a fish swims in - WHACK!!! Bye-bye fishy....

sirdarksol

Actually, it depends. I'm not sure where Beth lives, but the local clams don't open their shells. They crack them, just a bit, and extend two valves, one to pull water in one to push it out. They also crack it along the bottom to extend their foot to move around. They don't open their shells like the oceanic clams do.

vin

The freshwater clams where I am in New England will open to extend their foot and their necks, but will also snap shut on anything that comes in their path. they are brown in color and are slender in shape.

Gargoyle

Same by me..

sirdarksol

Alright, so we learn more and more new every day.
Thanks for the info guys.

lyndatu

ooooh, clams! Why didn't I think about that?

Anyways, here's my opinion:

Clams are fine for your aquarium! They have many benefits! They're very interesting and, not mention, yummy! Let me break it down for you:

1. They are filter feeders; they pump water in on one opening, eat all the food in the water, then pump the clean water out of another opening, along with some wastes. They also eat some floating algae!

2. If you're thinking that if a little fish comes near the clam, the clam's shells will snap shut and eat the fish inside, and when it opens, only the skeleton comes out; Think again! They're peaceful and they're the ones being eaten(by predatorial fish)! They also move around when you're not looking!

3. They also make pearls! Just kidding, but I'm not sure if this is true for freshwater clams.

4. They make the water clearer and removes fogginess in the water.

5. They help in breeding by storing the fish larvae into their shells. Don't worry: they won't eat them!

There is but one disadvantage from clams:

Some clams caught in the wild might carry some zooplanktons that can cause something like itch, but this seldomly happens.

There's no reason why you shouldn't place them in your aquarium, just watch out for zooplankton! Good Luck!

sirdarksol

Far worse than the ICH, because of the way they feed, wild clams have the potential to be filled with toxins. Clams and oysters are known as one of the most dangerous seafoods for humans to eat because they soak up the stuff that we dump into the water, so if the lake you get the clam from is polluted, you can be sure that the clam is carrying a significant amount of that pollution.